Ogier: “Only the final victory counts”

AUTOhebdo.fr: Sébastien, you finished fifth in the Rally of the Var, despite difficult conditions. How do you judge your performance?
Sébastien Ogier : It was not a Rallye du Var like the others because of the weather conditions? but I've been coming for two years and it's often been like this, with a lot of rain and difficult conditions. In this context, I think we performed well. Finishing first in group R and fifth overall with the Citroën DS3 R3, we couldn't have hoped for much better. We had a fight with Manu (Guigou, Renault Clio R3) all weekend, often close to him. He is a reference in this category, he knew the rally and his car very well. For our part, we discovered both, especially since some problems caused us to waste time. Overall, we rode well.

Were you not annoyed to see Manu Guigou always in front, even when you put your all into it?
No, because when the car was working well and we had driven well, we were ahead of him. But it's true that it took us a little time to get into the right rhythm, to adapt to the car. The brake problems also went in the right direction, which allowed us to push as hard as possible at the end of the rally. When we were able to give our best, we were often in the right rhythm.

You regularly mentioned problems with brakes that heated up too much. Did you adapt your driving or did a mechanical correction help you?
We must recognize that it was the weather conditions that helped us, the water allowing better cooling of the brakes on the last day. But the team will work on it. It's still a positive point because, even with the time we lost this weekend because of that, we managed to stay in a fight with Manu. The day this problem is fixed, the car will be really good.

At the end of this last rally of the year, what assessment do you make of your 2010 season?
It’s a very beautiful season. It's true that we ended the season less well than expected. WRC (three successive faults in France, Spain and Great Britain). Despite everything, it remains a very good season. It was the year that allowed us to explode to the highest level. We are now capable of fighting at the front on world rallies; This year's results are very good. We are now impatient to start the next one, with a big challenge, particularly regarding the new car. We are lucky to arrive to drive this new car and participate in its development. It can only be positive.

You ended the WRC season with three difficult rallies, as you have just mentioned. Do you think you are missing something to fight for the title of World Champion?
Anyway, to beat someone like Sébastien Loeb, we must have an exceptional season. This year, he started 13 races, for 12 podiums and eight victories, and always in the points. It's an exceptional record and to beat someone like that, it will be very, very hard. But we don?t make it an obsession. We are going to try to have the best possible 2011 season but we know that we have a few years ahead of us, normally, to do so. If we don't do it next year, it won't be a big deal. Above all, we should try to do it next year and get burned because of it. But it's certain that with someone like him in front of us, it won't be easy.

Aren't you afraid of witnessing a huge duel between the two Citroën drivers?
That would be a good thing for me! He will definitely be in the game so, if there is a big duel, it will be a good sign for me, I will be in the game too. Above all, we must continue to make Citroën win, because that is also why the team continues in the World Championship. Having Seb with us will definitely lift us up.

In the Ford team, which driver will be your most formidable opponent?
I think Latvala will be the most dangerous. He has the best speed and he is starting to be more and more consistent. He is young and he is a competitor that I risk meeting again throughout my career.

How can we explain that Mikko Hirvonen spent the season in the background, having almost been World Champion in 2009?
It's hard to say. He started very well in Sweden then he started to make mistakes. He then had a big outing in Finland, which cooled him down a lot. Since then, he has never been seen again for a while.

Can the loss of confidence, when we no longer produce results, lead to no longer reaching the limits?
It?s never easy to overcome periods of doubt, when the results are not there. It?s complicated for all drivers. But I find that Hirvonen has never been as efficient as Latvala, Loeb or Solberg. Last year, he had an exceptional season of consistency but, in pure performance, he is a step below the others.

Concerning you, can this Rallye du Var without a hitch reassure you after your WRC outings?
It?s always good to arrive at the finish of a rally with a good result, even if it has nothing to do with the car you drive in the world championship. But I haven't lost confidence following my three bad results at the end of the season. I regret nothing. I tried to do things on asphalt (France and Spain). I got trapped in Britain, like everyone else, but a little harder than the others about me. It?s a complicated rally where it?s easy to make mistakes. It?s a shame to have ended like that but I don?t regret it. In any case, in six months, we will have forgotten the name of the person who finished second or fourth in the 2010 championship. It is only the final victory that counts.